CASTAIC, Calif. (AP) 鈥� Firefighters fought to maintain the upper hand on a huge and rapidly moving wildfire that swept through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles and resulted in more than 50,000 people being put under evacuation orders or warnings.
The Hughes Fire and in less than a day had charred nearly 16 square miles (41 square kilometers) of trees and brush near Castaic Lake, a popular recreation area about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the devastating that are burning for a third week.
Though the region was under a red flag warning for critical fire risk, winds were not as strong as they had been when the Palisades and Eaton fires broke out, allowing for firefighting aircraft to dump tens of thousands of gallons of . The Palisades and Eaton fires have and destroyed more than 14,000 structures since they broke out Jan. 7.
The California fires have caused at least $28 billion in insured damage and probably a little more in uninsured damage, calculated Karen Clark and Company, a disaster modeling firm known for accurate post-catastrophe damage assessments.
Meanwhile, California Republicans are against suggestions by President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans that federal disaster aid for victims of wildfires should come with strings attached. Trump plans to visit the state to see the damage firsthand Friday, but it wasn鈥檛 clear whether he and will meet during the visit.
Hughes Fire
By Wednesday night, about 14% of the Hughes Fire had been contained.
鈥淭he situation that we鈥檙e in today is very different from the situation we were in 16 days ago,鈥� Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Wednesday evening.
Red flag warnings were extended through 10 a.m. Friday in LA and Ventura counties.
More than 31,000 people have been ordered to evacuate from the Hughes Fire, and another 23,000 are under evacuation warnings, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said. There were no reports of homes or other structures burned.
Parts of Interstate 5 near the Hughes Fire that had been closed reopened Wednesday evening.
A 30-mile (48-kilometer) stretch of the major north-south artery had been closed for emergency vehicles, to move equipment and to prevent accidents due to smoke billowing across it. Crews on the ground and in water-dropping aircraft tried to prevent the wind-driven fire from moving across the interstate and toward Castaic.
Marrone said that because winds were not as strong as they were two weeks ago, aircraft crews were able to drop fire retardant on the south side of the fire, where the flames were moving, he said. More than 4,000 firefighters were assigned to the fire, he said.
Winds in the area were gusting at 42 mph (67 kph) in the afternoon. They had reached as high as 65 mph (105 KPH) in some mountain pockets by Wednesday night, according to David Roth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Kayla Amara drove to Castaic鈥檚 Stonegate neighborhood to collect items from the home of a friend who had rushed to pick up her daughter at preschool. As Amara was packing the car, she learned the fire had exploded in size and decided to hose down the property.
鈥淥ther people are hosing down their houses, too. I hope there鈥檚 a house here to return to,鈥� Amara said as police cars raced through the streets and flames engulfed trees on a hillside in the distance.
Amara, a nurse who lives in nearby Valencia, said she鈥檚 been on edge for weeks as major blazes devastated Southern California.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been stressful with those other fires, but now that this one is close to home it鈥檚 just super stressful,鈥� she said.
Sepulveda Fire
An evacuation warning was issued for Sherman Oaks after a brush fire broke out on the Sepulveda Pass near the I-405 Freeway. The blaze was first reported just after 11 p.m. Wednesday, but the Los Angeles Fire Department announced early Thursday that forward progress had been stopped at about 40 acres (16 hectares) and the evacuation warning was lifted. No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported, fire officials said, but firefighters remained at the scene.
Palisades and Eaton fires
The low humidity, bone-dry vegetation and strong winds came as firefighters continued battling the . Officials remained concerned that those fires could break their lines as firefighters continue watching for hot spots. Containment of the Palisades Fire reached 70%, and the Eaton Fire was at 95%.
Los Angeles officials began to even as some residents were allowed to return to the charred . Gusty weather was expected to last through Thursday and precipitation was possible starting Saturday, according to the weather service.
鈥淩ains are in the forecast and the threat of mud and debris flow in our fire-impacted communities is real," Supervisor Kathryn Barger said during a Wednesday morning news conference.
Fire crews were filling sandbags for communities while county workers installed barriers and cleared drainage pipes and basins.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass warned that winds could carry ash and advised Angelenos to visit to learn how to during the latest Santa Ana wind event. LA County public health director Barbara Ferrer cautioned that the ash could contain heavy metals, arsenic and other harmful materials.
鈥淓ven a brief exposure can potentially cause skin irritation and lead to more serious problems,鈥� Ferrer said Wednesday, asking people to wear protective gear while cleaning up.
Luna said Wednesday his department was still investigating 22 active missing person reports in both fire zones. All reported missing are adults, he said.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is investigating the causes of the fires but has not released any findings.
by people who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire, alleging Southern California Edison's equipment sparked the blaze. On Tuesday, a judge overseeing one of the lawsuits ordered the utility to produce data from circuits in the area where the fire started.
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The story has been updated to correct to Castaic Lake, from Lake Castaic.
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Weber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press journalists Ethan Swope in Castaic, Hallie Golden in Seattle, Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles and Julie Walker in New York contributed to this report.
Christopher Weber And Marcio Jose Sanchez, The Associated Press
